Ever wonder how gravity affects the formation of wood?

If so, soon you may have your answer!

24 willow saplings from derived from clones of trees in Fredericton, New Brunswick and Truro, Nova Scotia are now in space!!

The saplings were launched into space last Monday via NASA's space transport shuttle - Atlantis. They are on their way to the international space station.

Rodney Savidge, a professor in the faculty of forestry and environmental management at the University of New Brunswick, has been working with NASA and the Canadian Space Agency to study how gravity affects the formation of different kinds of wood.

The results of the study are expected to impact the construction, and pulp and paper industries. Specifically, Savidge's is studying reaction wood, which is anatomically and chemically different from wood normally used in construction and pulp and paper production.

Reaction wood in willow trees has an elevated amount of cellulose, which is what the pulp and paper industry wants, he said.

But reaction wood in softwoods, which dominates Atlantic Canada's forestry sector, isn't a safe wood, Savidge said.

"It's an unsafe wood for construction because when it fails or breaks, there is no creaking, groaning, cracking or warning as there is with normal wood," he said.

"The usefulness and safety aspects of reaction wood are different than normal wood, but reaction wood is something we're seeing more of, especially in trees that are grown faster through biotechnology or genetic engineering."

Savidge said the experiment will give researchers insight into what causes reaction wood.

"For me as a researcher, I find all this exciting because a tree is just as complex an organism as an animal. Trees are physiologically and developmentally very complex. They have some really fundamental aspects that can help us better understand all biological systems and how they grow and develop."

The trees will be brought back to earth in February.

Read more:

Out-of-this-world experience (The Daily Gleaner)